What's the Chronological Order of the New Testament Books?

The books of Galatians and James are thought to be the oldest in the New Testament Canon, written by 49 A.D.

Have you ever thought about which books of the New Testament were written first? The 29 books do not appear in sequential order. For example, Matthew, the first Gospel, is actually the 20th book, written between 60 and 69 A.D.

One of the earliest Epistles is James, written in 49 A.D. To some people, James’s emphasis on good works contradicts the all important Christian doctrine of Justification by Faith alone. Now that you know where it fits in the chronology, you can avoid this confusion by understanding that its doctrines are more fully elaborated by later Scriptures.

The miraculous gift of Tongues is another important doctrine made more clear through recognition of the chronological order of the New Testament books.

The following chart is based on conservative scholarship and archaeological findings, and is intended as a guideline.

Chronological Order of New Testament Books (Approximate)

No.

Book

Date Written (A.D.)

1

Galatians

49

2

James

49

3

1 Thessalonians

50 - 51

4

2 Thessalonians

50 - 51

5

1 Corinthians

54

6

2 Corinthians

55

7

Romans

55

8

Mark

57 - 59

9

Luke

60

10

Ephesians

60

11

Colossians

60

12

Philemon

60

13

Acts

61

14

Philippians

61

15

1 Timothy

62

16

Titus

62

17

2 Timothy

63

18

1 Peter

63

19

2 Peter

63 - 64

20

Matthew

60’s

21

Hebrews

60’s

22

Jude

60’s or 70’s

23

John

Late 80’s

24

1 John

late 80’s - early 90’s

25

2 John

late 80’s - early 90’s

26

3 John

late 80’s - early 90’s

27

Revelation

late 80’s - early 90’s

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